My L.A. Journals: 2003- Post 3: "National Security" Premiere- Westwood, CA

January 15, 2003

This post: The "National Security" film premiere, January 2003. Westwood, CA

     Went to the "National Security" premiere and after-party tonight for THR at Mann's Village Theater in Westwood. I went with my buddy D.Dubb. Columbia was the studio; there was no cohesion at arrivals, will-call, or the red carpet. There were security teams, fans behind the barriers, a will-call table across the street from the theater. My tickets weren't there and I had to get a Columbia staffer to help locate them, which took another ten minutes.

      I took a 15-minute break from the movie and decompressed in the Mann's lobby after seeing Martin Lawrence's character called a 'monkey' in the film more than a few times. Racial rants as comedy. It was embarrassing. The audience, most of them industry people and comedy royalty, just laffed and laffed and my pupils dilated in mind-numbing shock.  I kicked it with the theater staff behind the concession counter. They were looking all left-out and I wanted them to know they weren't missing anything. 

      I told D. Dubb I'd quit and become a lumberyard worker for the rest of my natural days before I could submit to ...being called out of my name. The shit that some of these writers write for Black characters and the business they give them to do is worse than cleaning toilets. I was mentioning some of this to D.Dubb and didn't know that a Columbia executive was standing there and overheard me. The Columbia exec looked at me, then looked sad and worried before walking away. D.Dubb looked nervous but I told him that THR is a $53-million dollar paper, after taxes and expenditures. I can help Columbia more than they can help me, so my opinion ,said in private, isn't going to affect me at all. I worked all day in the bureau. I don't sweat that. I wasn't reviewing the movie.

      Saw Regina King of "227" and "Jerry Maguire." She was beautiful. I confessed to her that I had her "Right On" magazine poster on my wall when I was a teenager. I told her she was beautiful and that I was so happy for her. She's working on "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" with Reese Witherspoon.

     Taraji Henson of "Baby Boy" and "The Division" show was there with her manager. I introduced myself and told her that in the Lifetime press pack it says that she is from Washington, D.C. I'm from Georgetown and grew up in Temple Hills. She knew the neighborhood. Her characterization in "Baby Boy" is so idnetifiable to a lot of the audience; I told her I saw her character in a lot of my my younger brother's girlfriends. I'm so happy for her gig on "The Division" and we're pretty much the only minority in our respective work forces. She said it was nice to meet me and I was so flattered. She has a great laugh and is very enthusiastic about her career.

     Film reporter *Petra Kane* was at the after-party, licking a key lime tart free of its filling and leaving the dough shell on the table. Her husband came over and Petra complained about  her assistant getting on her nerves. I complimented her on her hair since she's letting it grow out and not wearing her 'Casino' fall much these days. She said she'd like her hair to be shorter but, "I know I come across as 'hard' on camera and longer hair softens me." True.


    Petra said she's a size '0' ("the same as Selma Blair.." ) and that a lot of film actresses "freak out" if they see numbers in their dress tags. She mentioned an actress of a late-'90s teen hit who was unnecessarily dogged by her director about her weight during filming. When she saw herself onscreen that furthered her weight complex. Petra explained that all actresses see themselves in their first film in a theater and decide to change whatever magnified feature annoys them. A TV/ Film actress who has done well in horror films had a breast reduction after seeing herself in her first film, Petra said.


     I'd run into Petra at the premiere screening. She hugged me in the lobby when we left the film for a moment. She asked me for a cigarette and told me she was pissed because she overheard her publisher say that "a monkey" could write the party column in her magazine and she didn't appreciate the judgement. The publisher adores her, so go figure... but I get it.

     Saw Ice Cube and introduced myself, having talked to his Cube Vision partner Matt Alvarez on the news desks at THR. I mentioned that I'd pitched myself to his company via headshot and resume back in 2000 when they announced his Black werewolf film, sort of like an urban "Lost Boys." He remembered the film concept and we shook hands. I told him the THR film beat is always happy to hear from him when they're announcing projects. He gets good placement and they're doing well.

      Also at the party: Hill Harper; a tall and healthy Magic Johnson. Michael Keaton was there and D.Dubb stopped to talk to him. Some scenes from Keaton's "My Life" were filmed at D.Dubb's job near LAX years ago. Garry Shandling and I got smushed together face-to-face leaving the theater. I met Joe Torry, one of my favorite comedians, and I gave him my card if he had any editorial news. He asked me, "You holding it down there [at THR]? Take good care of us!" We shook hands.

     Back in the party, there was a group of tables together and roped off. The space around was crowded and I needed to wash my hands, so I walked around the perimeter of the rope and a big security guard brother put his arms out like an airport scan and said, "Mr. Lawrence is spending some time with his family for a moment. He's not doing any interviews at this time, please." I hadn't noticed but I said, "I'm trying to wash my hands. I'm not here to interview Martin Lawrence. I can't even think of what I'd ask." I smiled and he didn't make it an issue. He was doing his job but it wasn't me he needed to be worried about. Martin Lawrence's sister was there at the end of the table and said hello. She was visiting from Maryland. Martin is from Landover, Maryland and I'm from Temple Hills, two Maryland towns in the same county (P.G. County) so we got to have a nice conversation. She was very nice and I asked her if she was having a good time and she said she was.

     There was a young comedian with a young director outside when I went out for a break. They were with two of their friends who also are trying to get in the industry. They were overwhelmed by the after-party's guest list and the money represented. They asked me for advice. At first the director said something to the effect that I'm part of the establishment so it's easy for me because I'm already in. I called bullshit on that and explained that just two years ago I was just 4 blocks up the street at UCLA working for the C.R.E.S.S.T. research dept. tracing writing exams.

     "How do you hold on?" the director asked me. I told him, "Never take yourself out of the game." They are not too long out of film school and are still assuming that their pitches not coming to any fruition yet is a personal thing. I know how that feels, trying to pitch and get an interview for a gig. It feels personal when you're not hearing back but it's not always so. I told them that the average A-list contact in media is 57 years old. You have to keep that in mind, the sum of years it takes to be where you can change someone's life/tax bracket with the stroke of a pen.

      These guys I was talking to are all in their early to mid-20s, eating craft services and frustrated they aren't where they think they should be. I've been in Los Angeles for 7 years and 5 of them were spent navigating non-stop to the next step and I had years of experience before where I was working and doing the same thing.  I had the film grad entourage captivated with my freestyle but it's because I know how they feel. A lot of these guys start off together and think it's all going to pop off and they'll be able to stay together in a working unit and it doesn't always turn out that way. Individual ambitions vary. I've lost friendships over the years where we diverged or people aren't happy for you the way you were for them.

   If these new guys want it, they'll persist. I know my professional life took a quantum leap. I am helpful to people in the business because I remember staying in the game by the skin of my teeth when things were much harder and interviews scarcer. It cost me thousands of dollars. I told the guys good luck and said, "Ten years from now we'll run into each other again somewhere and we'll laugh at this."